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The Deutsche Fussballbund (German Football Association - DFB) has agreed a four-year contract with the Kirch group on the exploitation of television and Internet rights relating to the Bundesliga (national football league). The Kirch group will pay DEM 3 billion, ie DEM 750 million per season, for the right to broadcast Bundesliga matches between 2000 and 2004. The deal covers pay-TV broadcasts, including the possibility of watching all matches on a pay-per-view basis, as well as free TV channels, which can be received at no extra charge. Once again, therefore, the DFB has sold these rights centrally...

On 25 November 1999, the Landgericht München I (First Munich Regional Court) overturned the ruling of the court of first instance against the former managing director of Compuserve (see IRIS 1998-6: 4). The AG München (Munich District Court) had imposed a two-year prison sentence, which was suspended on payment of a fine of DEM 100,000. The case concerned child and animal pornography, prohibited in Germany, which was available on the server of Compuserve USA, and to which its subsidiary Compuserve Germany had given access. Whereas the court of first instance had found the managing director of...

In mid-April, the Direktorenkonferenz der Landesmedienanstalten (Conference of Regional Media Authority Directors - DLM) adopted a draft set of rules for the protection of minors on private-sector digital television. The rules make use of the authorisation granted in Article 3.5 of the Rundfunkstaatsvertrag (Agreement between Federal States on Broadcasting - RfStV), amended for the fourth time between 16 July and 31 August 1999, which came into force on 1 April this year (see IRIS 2000-2: 5). Under this provision, it is possible, in certain circumstances, to deviate from the general time restrictions...

On 13 April 2000, the 1st Chamber of the Bundesgerichtshof (Federal Supreme Court - BGH) decided that a satirical television programme did not breach copyright or competition law. The object of the satire was a television show in which contestants had to guess the prices of various articles. Whoever was closest to the actual price could win the article concerned. The show was sponsored by the manufacturer of an incontinence medicine, which the presenter helped to advertise in a commercial shown during the TV show. The satirical programme used original clips from the show, including the advertisement...

The Federal Ministry of Health has again called for alcohol advertising regulations to be tightened (see IRIS 1997-6: 14). With particular reference to television advertisements for alcoholic products, the Ministry believes the current regulations are insufficient to combat alcohol addiction. Provisions on alcohol advertising are currently set out in the 1998 version of the German Advertising Council's rules on advertising and teleshopping for alcoholic beverages, which are applicable under the terms of the Regional Media Authorities' "Common Guidelines on advertising, the separation of advertising...